Those selected from Colombia and Peru, led by the Argentine Ricardo Gareca, will play a crucial match this Friday in the city of Barranquilla importance for both in the fight to qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup or a place in the playoffs. The match for the 15th. The date of the South American Qualifiers will take place from 6:00 p.m. at the Roberto Meléndez Metropolitan Stadium, with the arbitration of the Venezuelan Jesús Valenzuela and televised by TyC Sports.
The two teams have 17 points, with the exception that Colombia, led by Reinaldo Rueda, has a goal balance of -1 against -5 for the Peruviansan aspect that cannot go unnoticed in a definition that promises to be very closed in recent times.
Colombia suffers an unexpected streak of four dates without wins in the Qualifiers with three goalless draws against Uruguay, Ecuador and Paraguay and the defeat against Brazil (0-1) and a negative series of 489 minutes without scoring a goal on the way to Qatar, from the one Luis Fernando DÃaz scored against Chile in the 3-1 win last September at home.
Peru obtained nine of the last 12 units with wins against Chile, Bolivia and Venezuela, losing only to Argentina in the River Stadium by 1 to 0. It seemed that Gareca’s team was running out of illusions and out of the chance to play its second consecutive World Cup, for the second time in its history after having taken part in Argentina 1978 and Spain 1982, but this streak “revived” it.
The Peruvians, after visiting Barranquilla, will be local next Tuesday against Gustavo Alfaro’s Ecuador and in the last double-date they will visit Uruguay and will culminate against Paraguay in Lima next March.
Venezuela and the return of Pekerman
In the other game of the day, Venezuela, with the debut of Argentine coach José Pekerman, will receive Boliviawho plays one of his last chances to continue in the race for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, from 19 at the AgustÃn Tovar stadium, in Barinas (Public TV).
Bolivia adds 15 points and looks forward to the classification although it will not be easy and it is forced to add almost all the units in play until the end of the ranking. For its part, Venezuela (7 units), last and without World Cup chancesmade a strong bet with Pekerman for the next Copa América and the next World Cup.
The big job for Bolivia was presented every time it fell from the height of La Paz, since it garnered just two points (against Chile and Paraguay) over 18 at stake as a visitor. But nevertheless, the streak is not only in the current Qualifiers, he has 62 games without success outside his country. Yes indeed, his last official victory was against Venezuela by 7 to 1, on July 18, 1993on what would be the road to the 1994 World Cup in the United States, which kept him in mind.
= Likely formations =
Colombia: David Ospina; Daniel Munoz; Davinson Sánchez, Yerry Mina and Johan Mojica; Mateus Uribe, Wilmar Barrios, Guillermo Cuadrado and James RodrÃguez, Luis DÃaz; Miguel Angel Borja. DT: Reinaldo Rueda.
Peru: Pedro Gallese; Aldo Corzo, Carlos Zambrano, Alexander Callens and Nilson Loyola; Renato Tapia and Yoshimar Yotún; Christian Cueva, Sergio Peña and André Carrillo; Gianluca Lapadula. DT: Ricardo Gareca.
Referee: Jesus Valenzuela (Venezuela).
Stadium: Metropolitan of Barranquilla
Hours: 18:00.
TV: TyC Sports.
Venezuela: Wuilker Farinez; Ronald Hernández, Nahuel Ferraresi, Yordan Osorio and Óscar González; Tomás Rincón, Junior Moreno, Yeferson Soteldo and Darwin MachÃs; Salomon Rondon and Eric Ramirez. DT: Jose Pekerman.
Bolivia: Carlos Lampe; Diego Bejarano, Adrián Jusino and Jesús Sagredo; Erwin Saavedra, Fernando Saucedo, Leonel Justiniano, Moises Villarroel and Rodrigo Ramallo; Juan Carlos Arce and Marcelo Martins Moreno. DT: Cesar Farias.
Referee: Guillermo Guerrero (Ecuador).
Stadium: AgustÃn Tovar (Barinas).
Time: 19.00
TV: Public TV.
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